Michelangelo
the last decades
Past exhibition
#MichelangeloLastDecades
2 May – 28 July 2024
Room 35
The Joseph Hotung Great Court Gallery
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In 1534, Michelangelo left Florence for Rome, never to see his native city again. He was 59, which many contemporaries regarded as old, but for Michelangelo this move marked the beginning of a dramatic new chapter which would fundamentally shape his experiences as an artist and as a man.
This exhibition looked at the last 30 years of Michelangelo's remarkable life, when his return to Rome – having been summoned by Pope Clement VII to paint a fresco of the Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel – brought him new commissions and reunited him with some of his closest friends.
Having secured his reputation with works including his famous statue of David, Michelangelo was already the most celebrated artist in Europe. But, rather than resting on his laurels, his Christian faith, intellectual engagement and hope for salvation propelled him to produce some of the most striking works of his career. Forceful preparatory drawings for the Last Judgment, which were on show, as well as the monumental Epifania – one of only two surviving cartoons by Michelangelo – demonstrate his renewed energy and desire to challenge himself.
These works were displayed alongside studies for Michelangelo's grand architectural projects as well as drawings, poems and intimate letters that reveal his personal passions and anxieties. Rather than showing an artist in decline, this exhibition showed the astonishing dynamism that Michelangelo brought to his work in the final decades of his life as he explored salvation and confronted his mortality.
Reviews
Families
Find Tom in Time creative family trail
Families were able to get creative and discover what life was like in Michelangelo's Italy through our Find Tom in Time exhibition trail and art pack. This self-led trail took them to four stops and had practical art activities for families to complete together, which complemented the exhibition.
This trail was based on Find Tom in Time, a brilliantly fun search-and-find puzzle book series for children ages six and over, written and illustrated by Fatti Burke, and published by Nosy Crow in collaboration with the British Museum.
Exhibition supporters
Supported by
James Bartos, Dunard Fund and a gift in memory of Melvin R. Seiden.
With additional support from
The Cosman Keller Art and Music Trust, The Vaseppi Trust, the Italian Cultural Institute and The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.
Funding for the conservation of the Epifania cartoon was generously provided through a grant from the Bank of America Art Conservation Project.
